CLASS - WICKES (LITTLE) Built to a different set of plans (Bethlehem) than the Wickes (Bath) the Little versions were considered less successful than the Bath designed ships, with few remaining in service past 1936.
Displacement 1,154 Tons, Dimensions, 314' 5" (oa) x 31' 8" x 9' 10" (Max)
Armament 4 x 4"/50, 2 x 1pdr AA (1 x 3"/23AA In Some Ships), 12 x 21" tt..
Machinery, 24,200 SHP; Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 35 Knots, Crew 103.Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Union Iron Works, San Francisco on October 31 1917.
Launched March 28 1918 and commissioned October 19 1918.
Placed in reduced commission in 1919 until arriving at Philadelphia in
April 1922. Robinson was decommissioned at Philadelphia August 3 1922
and was berthed there until recommissioned August 23 1940. Decommissioned for the last time and transferred to Britain November
26 1940, stricken January 8 1941. Renamed HMS Newmarket (G47).Fate Broken up for scrap in 1945.

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Isaiah Robinson, probably born in Philadelphia, Pa., was a member of the Philadelphia Ship Masters' Association and served as lieutenant in Hornet with Joshua Barney. He later commanded the 10-gun Continental sloop-of-war Sachem, fitted out by the Marine Committee shortly after Admiral Hopkins' Fleet sailed for New Providence in 1776, and captured a six-gun British letter of marque off the Virginia Capes. Appointed captain in the Continental Navy on 10 October 1776, he assumed command of the 14-gun brig Andrew Doria. One of the more important smaller vessels of the Continental Navy, the brig sailed under orders of the Secret Committee, dated 17 October 1776, for the Dutch island of St. Eustatius to take on a cargo of military stores. Upon the return voyage in late November, he captured the British 12-gun sloop-of-war Racehorse after a 2-hour engagement near Puerto Rico. The following year, Captain Robinson cruised against enemy shipping off Cape May, but was finally blockaded in the Delaware River. During the defense of Philadelphia, and following the destruction of Fort Mifflin on 15 November 1777, he was forced to burn Andrew Doria to prevent her from falling into enemy hands. He commanded the 12-gun Pennsylvania privateer Pomona in 1779 and succeeded in taking several British privateers. The date of his death is unknown, but his will, dated 12 August 1777, was probated in the city of Philadelphia on 25 September 1781.

October 12 1918 on speed trial in the Santa Barbara Channel. From the Chris Wright collection.

Ed Zajkowski

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USS Robinson (DD-88) right centre, at sea, probably when USS George Washington carried President Woodrow Wilson to France in December 1918. A batleship is also present, in the extreme right distance.

Robert Hurst

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Photo #: NH 83559, USS Robinson (Destroyer # 88) underway in New York Harbor, in late 1918 or early 1919. She is steaming past USS George Washington (ID # 3018), seen in the right background. Fort Richmond, on Staten Island, is in the left background. Note Robinson's pattern camouflage.
Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C. Collection of Admiral Albert Gleaves, USN. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Tony Cowart

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Photo #: NH 103174, USS Robinson (Destroyer # 88), at left, and USS George Washington (ID # 3018), at right underway in New York Harbor, in late 1918 or early 1919. Note Robinson's pattern camouflage scheme. The original image is printed on postal card ("AZO") stock. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C. Collection of Admiral Albert Gleaves, USN. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Tony Cowart

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Photo #: NH 83560, USS Robinson (Destroyer # 88) underway in New York Harbor, in late 1918 or early 1919. Note her pattern camouflage, and that on the freighter in the right distance. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C. Collection of Admiral Albert Gleaves, USN. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

USS Robinson (DD 88) at Guantanamo, Cuba circa 1920. Photo from the collection of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.

Darryl Baker

On British Service

HMS Newmarket (ex-USS Robinson, DD-88) handed over to Canadian custody at Halifax on 26 November 1940, and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 5 December 1940, when her crew arrived from the UK. In collision with HMS Newark while en-route, she eventually left Canadian waters after repair on 15 January 1941 and commenced refit at Devonport on 30 January 1941. Apparently more work was required than the dockyard could handle at that time, for on 5 February 1941 she departed to the Humber where she remained under refit until 24 April 1941. After a very brief period of North Atlantic escort duty, Newmarket was taken in hand at Sheerness for further work from late June to November 1941, joining 8th Escort Group at Londonderry on completion. Here she was in collision with the Norwegian tanker Grenaa on 6 December 1941; and was obliged to leave convoy ON52 with boiler defects on 3 January 1942. repairs for both incidents, which took place at Londonderry and Liverpool, lasted until the end of March 1942, when Newmarket completed a round trip to Iceland with the first stage of convoy PQ14. A survey of the ship in May 1942, after almost no frontline service, showed her to be fit for air target duties only and she was therefore refitted at Rosyth from May to July 1942, and thereafter employed within Rosyth Command. Even now she had problems, being laid up ineffective for eleven months from July 1943. One of the least successful of the class, she paid off on 1 July 1945 and arrived at Llanelly on 2 September 1945 to be broken up by Rees Shipbuilding
Co. Ltd. (History thanks to Robert Hurst.)

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Undated, HMS Newmarket (G47) tied to mooring buoy, at Sheerness, England. Photo taken by unknown Royal Navy official photographer. Photo # FL 3307 from the collections of the Imperial War Museum.

Robert Hurst

USS ROBINSON DD-88 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)